7 Sept 2012


I drew the above She-Beast character for my friend and former training pal Hannah Gorman. She-Beast is Hannah's nick-name given to her by training colleagues. I'm not sure why exactly but given that she regularly used to beat the crap out of my at sparring, I think I can understand why!

Hannah is sponsored by Scramble so when it was mooted that they were doing rank coloured rashguards for the forthcoming IBJJF European Nogi International, we all came to the same idea that I might be able to add some custom art. And here she is, She-Beast!


I'm not very good at drawing human figures, especially of the comic book kind, but I really wanted to give it a go so I sketched and sketched and carried on until I felt I achieved something that was roughly acceptable (above).

From there I scanned it in and added vector lines. I also used a lot of reference photos, from various comics like Wolverine, Elektra, She Hulk and even then I still needed some posing help so what better than to enlist the services of the best model I could find? Sadly she was't around so I had ot use me instead...


I should mention that the Scramble rank colour rashguards (minus my artwork) will be on sale early October. Best of luck to Hannah and all the competitors at this contest, the first of its kind to be held in London.


Hannah, trying her best She-Beastly impression.

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byMeerkatsu
in
September 07, 2012

Meerkatsu Design: She Beast

I drew the above She-Beast character for my friend and former training pal Hannah Gorman. She-Beast is Hannah's nick-name given to he...
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1 Sept 2012


Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu summons us altogether at his London 'Champ Camp' seminar and explains that he expects us to yell YESSIR! and NO SIR! when he asks if we understand a technique. He also commands us to raise our hands and clap loudly to signal the beginning of each practice drill. It's  a unique method that ensures we all pay attention...Cyborg has SO much to teach us and boy! did we need the practice! This was a tornado guard masterclass like no other - simply because here was the man who invented the technique...


byMeerkatsu
in
September 01, 2012

Seminar: Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu

Roberto 'Cyborg' Abreu summons us altogether at his London 'Champ Camp' seminar and explains that he expects us to yell ...
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30 Aug 2012



Summary
After the overwhelming success of the Ichiban comes that 'difficult second album' syndrome. Scramble's customers need not worry, the Wave is destined to become a classic BJJ uniform. However it is worth noting the slightly larger degree of shrinkage in the sleeves and trousers, plus the fact that wearing a rashguard lined jacket might make you feel hotter compared to a regular non-lined gi of similar weight. It is also priced at the higher end of the gi market.

Disclosures
I have been commissioned in the past by Scramble to produce artwork. I have had no contribution to this design. This and the following report will be my own personal opinion and remain as objective and unbiased as I can.


byMeerkatsu
in
August 30, 2012

Gi Review: Scramble 'Wave' Kimono

Summary After the overwhelming success of the Ichiban comes that 'difficult second album' syndrome. Scramble's customers ne...
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25 Aug 2012



I just discovered this really great podcast dedicated to BJJ and grappling - it's called the Open Mat Radio and you can find their shows here: http://www.openmatradio.com/

I was brought to their attention when their guest, Jon Thomas from Tap Cancer Out gave me a shout out in his interview. You can listen to this episode here - where Jon describes how his non-profit got started and all the difficulties involved. Especially illuminating was the story behind his unique fund raising tournament format, in which he raised an incredible $21,000!!

I spoke briefly to co-host Paul Moran to find out more about Open Mat Radio. He explains:

"Myself, Richard Heinrich and Rafael Penha) debuted OpenMatRadio.com in January of this year. We cover the jiu jitsu/grappling lifestyle in various ways on our site. Our main draw is our weekly podcast (http://www.openmatradio.com/category/podcasts/).
We've interviewed BJ Penn, Shaolin, Eddie Bravo, Xande, Ryan Hall, John Danaher and many more. Our goal is to create a better discourse for the jiu jitsu/grappling community. Another goal is to expose our community to valuable history that might otherwise not be reported on.
In addition to our podcast we film a series called Expert's Corner. In this series we ask top level blackbelts/fighters/coaches the same set of questions. We ask the same questions so our viewers can compare how Marcelo, Saulo and Erik Paulson answer. 
We also post classic fights, diet/nutrition tips and a style guide we call the Grappler's Closet. The Grappler's Closet features up and coming grassroots brands.
I think what sets us apart from other sites is that we try to cover the overall culture and not just the sport side of jiu jitsu. We've done interviews with Scotty from OTM, Lauren Park who works in Abu Dhabi with the Royal family and of course our interview with Jon for TCO. We also try to report on any charity work being done. We auctioned off a shirt autographed by a ton of all-stars that were at the San Diego World Pro Trials. The money went to support Seanna Rossi in her fight against cancer.

We do our best to cover the major tournaments around the US. We have worked with Ultimate Absolute in NYC and currently work with ADCC North America. Last, we do a lot of contests and give-a-ways with up and coming brands."

Sounds really cool, I'll be tuning in each week from now on.


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byMeerkatsu
in
August 25, 2012

Open Mat Radio

I just discovered this really great podcast dedicated to BJJ and grappling - it's called the Open Mat Radio and you can find their ...
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Summary
This extremely lightweight gi with comfy pearlweave jacket and wonderful ripstop trousers is perfect for weight cutting tournament use or hot weather training. The sleeve length and rough taping was not to my liking but the design elements in my opinion are beautifully put together.

Disclosures
I have been commissioned in the past by Arte Suave to produce artwork. I have had no contribution to this design. This and the following report will be my own personal opinion and remain as objective and unbiased as I can.

Introduction
Arte Suave is a clothing brand based in Hawaii. They have been operating for a couple years turning out clean, intelligently designed t-shirts. I first came across owner Scot on Facebook during discussions about fightwear design which led to him kindly hiring me to design a t-shirt for his clothing store. I was aware of his debut BJJ gi as he showed me early stage layouts of the design. I was impressed with the lovely use of various weights of Helvetica font and small graphics placed over the gi design. It has taken some time for that diagram layout to turn into reality, but it is now here. I took the gi for a spin over the course of a couple weeks, here is my report...

byMeerkatsu
in
August 25, 2012

Gi Review: Arte Suave - Premium Lightweight

Summary This extremely lightweight gi with comfy pearlweave jacket and wonderful ripstop trousers is perfect for weight cutting tournam...
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21 Aug 2012

Apologies for the short notice but the design above is going on sale at BJJHQ.com at 11pm Eastern Time 20th August 2012 - that's later tonight as I am writing it and if you are a European reader, that's like really really early in the morning!

I first came up with this design a year ago. I liked how the words could be read in any one of a number of different ways,
eg TO WIN MAN, DRILL!
or, MAN! DRILL TO WIN!
or, DRILL TO WIN, MAN!
or, MANDRILL TO WIN
...and I'm sure there are a few more variations or play on the order of this phrase. It was inspired loosely on the book by Andre Galvao: Drill To Win.

I chose the mandrill ape mainly because of the wordplay possibilities but also because the male has the most awesomely impressive and colourful face. Oh and an equally impressive rear end, but, um, I'm not going to draw that!

Sorry if these sell out by the time you read this. I hope to get some re-printed and made available in the UK later on.

As a side note, this t-shirt is not a freelance job or a collaboration but printed solely under my own 'Meerkatsu' brand name. I'll be discussing more about this on a later blog post, but suffice to say it's a very exciting development for me.



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byMeerkatsu
in
August 21, 2012

Design: Drill to Win Man T-shirt

Apologies for the short notice but the design above is going on sale at BJJHQ.com at 11pm Eastern Time 20th August 2012 - that's late...
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17 Aug 2012


Summary
I compare two recently released rashguards that both feature exclusive Japanese style artwork - The Shadows rashguard from Scramble and the Sakana 'koi' rashguard from Fuji Sports.

Information
Shadows is available from Scramble's webstore for £34.99
Sakana koi is available from Hatashita Sports webstore for $64
Both items may be available from other retailers.

Disclosures
I have worked as a freelance designer and illustrator for numerous fightwear companies. I have collaborated with Scramble in the past. I have had no personal involvement with the design of either product.

byMeerkatsu
in
August 17, 2012

Rashguard Review: Scramble 'Shadows' vs Fuji 'Sakana'

Summary I compare two recently released rashguards that both feature exclusive Japanese style artwork - The Shadows rashguard from Scram...
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14 Aug 2012


*** update - this event raised a total of £2920 for Meningitis UK ***

For better or worse I've decided to take part in a 24 hour grapplethon organised by my friend Can Somnez (of Slideyfoot blogging fame) to help raise funds for Meningitis UK.

As a parent one of the very first things I am paranoid about whenever one of my children gets mysteriously ill, is to check signs for meningitis. For good reason too as meningitis comes in so many forms and can be deadly. Read more about the disease here - Meningitis UK.

I have decided to lend my support to Can's 24 hour grapplethon in several ways. First, as you can see above, I designed a t-shirt. Tatami Fightwear very kindly offered sponsorship and printed a limited number of these t-shirts which will be given to most of the participants in the grapplethon. I also have a few in my possession which I would love to give away to those who personally sponsor me (I'll pick 5 or 6 at random).




The other way in which I am helping to support the event is to take part myself. I doubt I'll be able to roll for the full 24 hours but I'm aiming to do as much as I can. The grapplethon begins at 9am on Saturday 22nd September and will continue until 9am Sunday morning. Can mentioned that we'll divide into mini teams, each team sharing rolling duties for a set period of time until they flag and then another takes over while the others rest and then we roll again. The process will continue for as long as we can. The whole event will be streamed over the internet in case you are interested in seeing how we fare (especially in the difficult wee hours of the morning!)


Thanks to Gracie Barra Bristol for donating their mat space for the event. If you want to chip in a few quid towards our effort, my ow sponsor donation page is here:


If you are a UK tax payer, please tick the GIFT AID box.

Thank you, and wish me luck!

.


byMeerkatsu
in
August 14, 2012

Charity: 24 Hour Grapplethon for Meningitis UK

***  update - this event raised a total of £2920 for Meningitis UK *** For better or worse I've decided to take part in a 24 hour...
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13 Aug 2012


Summary
Bright and jazzy coloured model to the Estilo range from Tatami Fightwear. This gi carries all the usual high quality aspects of previous Estilo models with the added bonus of limited edition and novel colour.

byMeerkatsu
in
August 13, 2012

Gi Review: Tatami Fightwear Purple Estilo

Summary Bright and jazzy coloured model to the Estilo range from Tatami Fightwear . This gi carries all the usual high quality aspects o...
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8 Aug 2012


I'm very excited about this! I first saw Roberto Abreu at ADCC in Nottingham last year. I thought he was awesome then and pretty much everyone I have spoke to who knows him has confirmed his awesome credentials.


Let's face it, anyone who's nickname is 'Cyborg' then has it tattooed on his arm, is alright with me.

If you are in London in September, hope to see you there!


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byMeerkatsu
in
August 08, 2012

'Cyborg' is coming to town!!

I'm very excited about this! I first saw Roberto Abreu at ADCC in Nottingham last year. I thought he was awesome then and pretty mu...
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28 Jul 2012

I've been on holiday this week. My wife, kids and I really love the south Coast of England and by chance Bournemouth also happens to host a number of gyms where I can pop in and train - win win!
We were very luck to have had some quite outstandingly hot and sunny weather so it almost felt like training abroad!


My first port of call was to visit Matt and Ben at Scramble. In the photo, we're standing in their ginormawarehouse and I'm holding a their mini kimono car mirror thingy which they give away if you order lots of their stuffs. I was also presented with their latest 'shadows' rashguard, which I will duly test and report at some point very soon.



Later on, I popped in to the Gary Baker Academy for a few rolls. Last time I visited, Matt was teaching but this time, I turned up to a session run by Gary himself. I also had a great chat to Gary, who has been training in various martial arts for a very long time under some very renowned instructors. It was great to meet and train with the guys there and I had a lot of fun. Gary tells me he will be moving to a new location next week - a converted car showroom with squillions of floor space and glass and steel everywhere. It should be awesome by the sounds of it and I look forward to returning to see how it all looks.


As you can sort of see from my Instagrammed snap above, I got the chance to really test out the new purple gi made by Tatami Fightwear. I must say so far I really like it. Wash tests should see how it shrinks over time, which will make or break it as a gi for me personally, but so far, it's been a pleasure to wear.

So, in between fending off having sand kicked in my face by my kids and running away from manic wasps, I still found time for one more training session. This time I visited the Ippon Gym, run by an MMA fighter called Jeff Lawson. Jeff is known worldwide for his appearance as a fighter on the TV show TUF. He's a kickass MMA athlete and I can testify from personal experience that his jiu jitsu (Jeff is a brown belt) is very very badass too!

Saturday mornings at Jeff's place is open mat so I managed a bunch of refreshingly invigorating nogi and gi rolls with various peeps.  I must say Jeff has done a fantastic job of creating an excellent gym. I wish him the best of luck and mucho fun at their first birthday bash next month.


BTW it's probably no coincidence that I have done some design work for all the people I have mentioned in this report.  Here for example is the cartoon car I drew for Jeff - he uses the car as a mobile advert when he drives around town. The cartoon sticker is a promotional item he gives out to people he meets. It's great marketing!


Thanks so much to everyone's hospitality during my unannounced visits to their gym!

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byMeerkatsu
in
July 28, 2012

Vacation rolling

I've been on holiday this week. My wife, kids and I really love the south Coast of England and by chance Bournemouth also happens to hos...
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24 Jul 2012

Fingers crossed but the honey badger rashguards should all be on sale this coming Friday 27th July 2012. If you missed the poster listing all the retailers around the world carrying my design, then check out the image at the bottom.

Here's a very cool promo video made by the talented Joey Sylvester:



As with my previous honey badger rashguard design, I have taken it upon myself to ask a few badass grappler friends if they would kindly represent the brand. So welcome to the 2012 line up of honey badger fighters! (ok the first one wasn't instigated by me but world champion fighter Pablo Popovitch is a fully signed up Tatami Fightwear athlete - woohoo!)




I have a whole bunch of other fighters I've sent rashguards out to so hopefully I can grab a photo and some stats for them too.

Here's the poster with all the retailers selling the rashguard on the 27th:




Enjoy


:)
byMeerkatsu
in
July 24, 2012

Honey Badger Rashguard (v2) News

Fingers crossed but the honey badger rashguards should all be on sale this coming Friday 27th July 2012. If you missed the poster listing a...
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